No. 3 Gonzaga blows past Loyola Marymount

Spokane, WA (SportsNetwork.com) - Kyle Wiltjer had 21 points and 10 rebounds and No. 3 Gonzaga held Loyola Marymount without a field goal over the first 12 minutes of the game on the way to an 80-51 win on Thursday night.

Gonzaga opened the game on a 20-0 run before Loyola Marymount scored its first point on a foul shot over eight minutes in.

"I thought we did an excellent job in that first half, playing excellent defense," said Gonzaga coach Mark Few. "The guys did an exceptional job."

The Lions missed their first 12 shots, two of their first six free throws and had six turnovers before Ayodeji Egbeyemi hit a jumper for their first field goal.

Wiltjer scored 12 of his 21 points in the first half, which ended with Gonzaga holding a 44-15 lead after shooting nearly 58 percent from the field. Byron Wesley and Przemek Karnowski added 11 points each in the win.

"We came out super focused and ready to go," Wiltjer said.

The Bulldogs (25-1, 13-0 West Coast Conference) stretched their winning streak to 18 games since losing to then-No. 3 Arizona in overtime on Dec. 6.

They kept a couple of other streaks alive, too: 18 consecutive wins over conference foes and 39 straight victories at home, which leads the country.

Gonzaga is 13-0 in conference play for the sixth time in coach Mark Few's 16 seasons at the helm.

David Humphries had 11 points for the Lions (8-18, 4-10), who have lost two games in a row and five of their last eight.

Gonzaga led by as many as 32 points in the second half. The Bulldogs shot 49.1 percent from the field and held Loyola Marymount to 29.4 percent shooting.

Game Notes

Gonzaga swept the season series, also beating Loyola Marymount 72-55 on Jan. 17 in Los Angeles. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 62-23 and have won 12 in a row and a 41 of the last 44 meetings ... Both teams are back in action on Saturday, when Gonzaga hosts Pepperdine and Loyola travels to play Portland.